Gamechanger tech to detect cows with mastitis from bulk tank samples
Genocells can rapidly identifies the main SCC offender cows, from testing a bulk tank sample.
Genocells is a new technology for fully genotyped herds, which rapidly identifies the main Somatic Cell Count (SCC) offender cows, from testing a bulk tank sample.
Since the National Genotyping Programme was launched in 2023, the share of the national dairy herd that is genotyped has increased to 35%.
By the end of November last year, 35% of all calves born in Ireland in 2024 were genotyped. That will increase further in 2025, as an additional 4,000 herds have joined the National Genotyping Programme, bringing the number of participating dairy and beef herds to 14,600.
The benefits of genotyping include increased accuracy and reliability of the Economic Breeding Index (EBI), Dairy Beef Index (DBI), and the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) of calves.
Genotyping also corrects "no sire identified" data, and provides early identification of carriers of lethal genetic conditions, and enhanced traceability.
This year will bring the Genocells test, delivered through ICBF, and the Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics milk recording organisations, for Irish dairy farmers who have genotyped their herds. Genocells is a genomic technology developed in Belgium at the University of Liege.
It is suited to those that require extra SCC surveillance at different time points throughout the lactation. The bulk tank Genocells samples can be taken at any time, you don't have to wait to complete a milk recording, before you can take action to manage SCC quickly.
For example, in herds where SCC is good, but a spike or issue comes out of the blue, Genocells will allow for rapid identification of the main offender or offenders. Or herdowners with high-SCC problems can use the Genocells report to identify the culprits, and take action.
Combining Genocells sampling with milk recording allows more effective management of your herd’s SCC throughout the lactation. This delivers better overall milk quality, reduces the usage of antibiotics, and lowers costs associated with mastitis in dairy herds.
Genocells will also have a role to play in selective dry cow therapy (SDCT). Sampling allows you to identify cows not suitable for SDCT, for example, cows still being milked more than the four weeks after the last milk recording.
Milk recording will still be necessary for fat and protein percentage analysis and to establish individual cow yields. It is the milk recording yield, in conjunction with the Genocells sample results, that determine each cow's percentage contribution to the bulk tank SCC. This is a key element in determining each cow’s impact on the bulk milk SCC.
Genotyping an animal identifies its individual DNA. This DNA is contained in the milk cells from each cow. That is why genotyping a milk sample reveals the contribution of each cow to the SCC of the bulk tank sample.
The milk recording organisations and ICBF undertook a comprehensive Genocells validation process in July and August of 2024, in 85 herds. Herdowners submitted three samples each over a number of weeks to verify accuracy, administration and logistics management around the sample turnaround time and subsequent reporting.
The accuracy was found to be 90-98%. And it took just seven days from bulk tank sampling to results received by the herdowner.
Farmers who are already milk recording will be familiar with the colour-coded reporting for SCC. This format is also being utilised in GenoCell sample reporting.
One of the farmers who participated in the GenoCells validation trial was Conor O’Brien, who farms near Loughrea in Co Galway. In a report in the Today’s Farm Teagasc/Agricultural Trust publication, Conor said: “The biggest benefit of the Genocells is the report you can get, for what really is very minimal effort.
“The report contains results for 10% of the herd, with a minimum of 10 cows and a maximum of 20 cows being displayed on the report. I like that it also gives you confirmation that the low SCC cows are genuinely low.”
Conor foresees doing a number of Genocells samples early in the season, in order to maintain his herd's low SCC. He will use it again later in the season, as he approaches drying off, to facilitate his selective dry cow therapy programme.
“This will be done along with the usual four or five milk recordings we do during the year,” said Conor.
He strongly encouraged herdowners to join the National Genotyping Programme. “It opens the door to new and innovative technologies. Genocells is just one example.”
Genocells will be available to dairy farmers who have their herds genotyped in 2025. For more information, contact your milk recording provider.
To avail of Genocells, all cows must be genotyped, GenoCells samples that include cows not genotyped give less accurate results for the other, genotyped, cows. The herd must be signed up for milk recordings in the calendar year, and at least one recording must be completed before a GenoCell test can take place.
Sample bottles with instructions will be posted to the herdowner. The ICBF health and treatment app must be downloaded, There is no charge for this, the app is needed to upload sample details prior to testing (there is a Genocells charge per cow per test, it is €3.50 for 2025, in the case of Munster Bovine).
